The Post Office itself, meanwhile, was about to undergo the greatest expansion in its history as a result of the reforms proposed by the campaigner Rowland Hill, the most significant of which was the introduction of the Uniform Penny Post in January 1840.

At the same time as this explosion of opportunities for the apprehension and reflection of an exterior self, two further developments in the material culture of mid-Victorian culture--namely, the introduction of the Penny Post and the proliferation of the novel form--contributed to the possibility for greater interior reflection, especially amongst those who were arguably best placed to avail themselves of these new possibilities, the literate middle-classes.

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